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Importing A Resource Pack

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by MARK WEST 09/08/10

Mac Tips

Special Keys

The Mac Command Key

You probably call this the "Apple Key", but it's officially called the Command Key and it is located near your spacebar. It is used on a Mac much like the control key is used on Microsoft Windows®; example: control-c on Windows copies and on a Mac we use command-c; control-v pastes on Windows and command-v pastes on Mac OS.

The Option Key

The Option Key is located near the Command Key and is sometimes called the ALT key. This key can frustrate a Windows user, as it doesn't work as a Windows ALT key does (you'll often use the Command Key on Mac where ALT is used in Windows), such as when tabbing through open applications: on Windows it's ALT-Tab, on a Mac it's Command-Tab.

The Control Key

The Control Key is located near the Command Key and has special funtions on a Mac (see "Right Clicking" below).

Exiting A Bad Program

On Windows, Alt+F4 will quickly terminate a program.

On Mac OS, Command+Q will quickly terminate a program.

The "3-Finger Salute"

On Windows, when a program stops behaving properly, you can press Control+Alt+Delete to invoke the Task Manager to make an application stop.

On Mac OS, you can accomplish the same thing by pressing Command+Option+Escape; this invokes the Force Quit menu and you can make applications stop.

"Right Clicking"

Sometimes you need to right click. On most computers it's easy, as they come with a two-button mouse. On Mac OS, you typically find a single-button mouse.

You can plug a two-button mouse in to a Mac and it will work. The reason is because two-button mice work on Unix and Mac OS is a Unix variant that uses parts from FreeBSD's and NetBSD's implementation of Unix.

You can also "right click" on a Mac with a single button mouse. To do so, you can do either of the following:

  1. Press and hold the Control Key while clicking.
  2. (This one only works if you have a Mac with a touchpad - usually a laptop) place two fingers on the touchpad while clicking.

Resource Packs

Sometimes you find a really good resource pack (such as Training.as4a - warning: that pack is 247 mb) or one from Promethean Planet and want it in ActivInspire. Here's how you do so:

  1. Open Inspire.
  2. Go to the File menu and choose Import. A menu will pop out to the right; choose Resource Pack to Shared Resources...
  3. Then select the resource pack. It should go quickly from there.
File menu and choose Import. A menu will pop out to the right; choose Resource Pack to Shared Resources...

So why not put them in "my" resources?

You can... but then you'd constantly have to change in the Resource Browser. When that got old, you'd want to tweak ActiveInspire by (1) editing your profile, (2) choosing Settings, and then (3) redirecting your Resource Library from Shared Resources to My Resources. You could do all that, or just import to Shared Resources, as I list above.

It's easier on you in the long run, unless you like doing extra stuff in ActivInspire.

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